Lucknow, Apr 3 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh education department is carrying out a special drive to prepare kids, who have no access to formal pre-primary education, through a specially designed 12-week readiness programme.

Under this, children, who have directly enrolled in Class One this year, will be taught pre-literacy, pre-numeracy and social skills through a series of activities.

This 12-week play-based module is a transition aid to help students ease into physical classes for the first time.

The programme, said a government spokesman, is aimed at filling gaps in pre-primary education.

“Children in schools will be encouraged to learn while playing. The readiness programme follows NEP which stresses pre-primary education.

“Pre-schooling is a key strategy to equip young children with school readiness. Special efforts are put by the department to strengthen the early childhood education systems,” said the spokesman.

The state government is also introducing NCERT books for classes one and two from the new session. School readiness helps children to develop essential skills, knowledge and attitudes that are required to succeed in school and to continue learning later in life.

Physical, cognitive, social and emotional development is an essential ingredient of school readiness. To reach out to the maximum number of kids, the department will also carry out the programme in Bal Vatikas. Besides, the first 15 days of the new session from April 1 will be spent in admissions and orientation programmes for parents.